Service Weapon Forms: Tablet and Magnum

The Service Weapon

The Service Weapon seems to be a powerful artifact, granted to you by (presumably) a group of entities which refer to themselves as The Board in exchange for your life. It begins looking like an unusual tablet computer, like some sort of seriously high-end off-brand iPad. 

It additionally begins capable of taking the Magnum and Knife forms, along with one each of an additional ranged and melee form of the player’s choice. Additional forms and form upgrades can be acquired by taking control of Places of Power.

Service Weapon Ammo: The Service Weapon regenerates its ammo, which also disappears after impact, making it essentially untraceable or identifiable to traditional forensics, though someone familiar with a Service Weapon’s work will be able to identify that a Service Weapon was used. 

An attack in B&B with a semi-automatic or automatic weapon is considered to be from one to many shots. As such, when using forms with ammo, low attack rolls mean you’re running low on ammo; you used too much trying to hit that turn, or you're just at that point. Each form starts with Plenty of ammo, and has a Low range and a Last Shot range of numbers. Rolling in the Low on Ammo range means you’re just that; when you’re Low, a roll in the Last Shot range means you’re almost out and have only one attack left. After that last attack you’re out of ammo and must let it regenerate at least one level, back to Last Shot. 

At the end of a round in which the Service Weapon is not used to attack, it begins renewing its available ammo: as long as attacks aren't made, it recovers one level of ammo at the end of the next round and each additional round no attacks are made, up to Plenty.

Service Weapon Forms and Upgrades

The Service Weapon may have up to four forms “active” at a time; one utility, one melee weapon, and two ranged weapons, plus the Tablet form. The agent can change the weapon’s form nearly seamlessly; it takes no action, but you can only take an action using one form in a given round. 

The active forms can be swapped out over the course of an exploration segment, or in a minute at a Place of Power. 

Tablet

The Service Weapon takes a utility form, that of a futuristic-looking tablet computer (even for 2025). In this form, it can:

• Deliver messages from both The Buzzing and The Board and allow you to send messages back. These may or may not get answers, which may or may not make much sense. No time cost. 
• Be used as a normal tablet computer.
• Tell you the distance and direction of the nearest unclaimed Places of Power. Takes one exploration segment.
• Tell you what forms, powers, or upgrade options are available for capturing a particular Place of Power you’re already aware of. No time cost.
• Take control of a Place of Power. Takes one or more exploration segments and multi-ability tests.
• Ride the Ley Lines: Transport you to the nearest controlled Place of Power. One exploration segment.
• Scan and cast spells. A spell can be learned by the Tablet if its user can pass a Technology check, and cast as an occultist in all normal ways by burning energy equal to three times the spell rank. This requires the normal casting time of the spell, typically 3 actions.

Magnum

The Service Weapon takes the form of a high-caliber semi-auto handgun with a cutting-edge appearance; some sort of smart-gun, maybe. It might attract some attention, but it is not obviously preternatural.

Damage: d8

Range: Short/Medium

Hands: 1 / 2

Low: 1-4

Last Shot: 1-6

Special: Crit on 19-20. 

Magnum Upgrades

• Rate of Fire Boost: Must be taken twice before it has any effect; gain an extra attack per round with this weapon. Max 3 bonus attacks. 
• Ammo Efficiency: Reduce the range for either Low or Last Shot by 1 per upgrade. 
• Floatation Ammo Efficiency: Reduce the range for Low ammo and Last Shot by 1 each while Floating, to a minimum of one. 
• Dual pistols: Must be taken four times. Magnum gains the option of being split into two pistols rather than one, allowing dual wielding. Increase the Low and Last Shot ranges for the form by 2. 
• Ace in the Hole: 2 upgrades. If the Last Shot in the chamber/magazine hits, it does three dice of damage and each die explodes on results of 1 to 3. 
• Rejuvenation: If Magnum hit an opponent at any point in the previous magazine of ammo, when it finishes reloading, heal grit equal to a roll of magnum’s damage die.
• Russian Roulette: Takes 2 upgrades. When you roll damage, also roll a d6. If the result is a 6, roll it again. On a 1-3, roll another the damage dice. On 4-5, roll two more (3 total). On a 6, roll 4 more (5 total).